AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The ride home is quiet except for the low hum of half rock, half static of the local radio station. Thank you, mountains, for your beauty, but solid radio reception? Forget it.
“Seriously, Jackson, I am stoked you came out tonight. I was worried we’d never be together again. Listen, you’ve gone through a lot, but she’d want you to be happy again. Even though you’re not ready today, someday you will be. Don’t forget that. I’ll come over in the morning to take you back to your truck. We could grab breakfast?”
Ryan’s tires meet the dirt driveway of my condo complex, and I slowly slide out when the truck stops. “Sounds good. Thanks for the ride, man.”
I usually leave my front door unlocked, so there is no reason to search for keys. Once inside, I toss my hat on the coffee table, turn off the porch light for the night, yank my T-shirt over my head, and plop on the couch. Not having the energy to climb the stairs, I grab the blanket that rests along the edge, kick off my boots, and get comfortable.
As the tide of exhaustion washes over me, the events of the day flood back. The vision of her balancing on the tire between the carriage and truck, hoisting those bags over the side of the bed. Man, she set my blood to pumping at that moment. Solia is just plain sexy without even trying, and that’s without mentioning what I saw at the cabin. Such a woman has the ultimate power to derail a man and has me questioning every plan I have in place.
4
Ihad the best sleep ever last night. Nothing compares to the lilac-scented breeze coming off the mountains and the sound of the birds waking as the sun finds its way over the ridge. Rolling to my right, I have a perfect view from my bedroom windows of the sun rising above the mountain ridge and the trees, and I take a minute to be present, truly appreciating where I am. I can make this work and be happy here. There isn’t a chance I can be lonely in my mountainside escape, right?
After a few more quiet moments, I slide into my slippers, thinking of how many times my mother must have gone through this same motion every morning she spent here. Sometimes apples don’t fall far from the tree. Walking into the small kitchen, I brew coffee—the stronger, the better—and make my way to the front porch. I have a list a mile long to accomplish today, but I can soak up a little more vitamin D before I begin.
I hear my phone ringing from inside. Running to catch it, I see it’s my mother on FaceTime.
“Hi, Mom.”
“How are you doing, honey? You didn’t call to tell us you arrived.”
“I’m good. I haven’t been here for more than a day, so not too much can go wrong in that amount of time.” My mom is always over the top, but I’ll rationalize she’s being protective.
“I listened when you said this is what you want, but don’t get used to us checking in on you too often. We aren’t a hop, skip, or a stone’s throw away, so this will be an adjustment.”
“I don’t need you to. And I know where you are if I need you. I can do this, Mom. Remember, you and Dad agreed to give me the summer to prove I’ve got this. You’re ready to move and sell the cabin, but I’m not ready to let this place go. It’s a win-win in my book. I’ll find a new job, have a place I love, and you and Dad can move on and the cabin can remain in the family.”
“Sure, sweetie, that’s fine. OK, I just wanted you to hear my voice. Try to get out and make some new friends. Oh, and don’t forget the trash will start to smell. I’m sure it’s warm there. And don’t forget to pick up a town dump pass.”
“OK, Mom. I won’t forget. Thanks for checking in.”
“Love you. The trash, Solia, don’t forget.”
“Mom! I won’t, jeez, have some faith.”
“All right, all right, have a good day.”
“Bye, Mom.”
This is the first time in my life that we’ll be separated by a couple hundred miles. I would never admit it to my parents, but it will take some getting used to. Driving to their house in a few minutes is something I have always taken for granted. But I need to grow the fuck up and carve my own path. Most people my age don’t live two miles from where they grew up. For god’s sake, my brother moved fourteen hours away, so a mere three-hour car ride is nothing.
As soon as I hang up, I run through my mental checklist of the things I have to get done today. I need to go to the market and go back to the hardware store to figure out who the hell Gerry is and how he was able to recite my address off the top of his head. I also need to ask where to get my season pass for the local beach and find a place to store my kayak and paddleboard by the lake. Oh, and the town dump pass. I can’t forget the freaking dump pass. How glamorous. If I can get these tasks done today, I will be well on my way to an epic summer. And if my mother will take a few steps back, I’ll be even better off.
When I’m finally motivated to get a move on, my phone blows up. I swear if it’s my mother again, I’m going to lose it. Thankfully, it’s Mia. We keep in constant contact, and we are due for a quick chat. During the school year, she and I would have our morning “conference calls” on our drive to school, each of us equally adoring our students and dreading what the day may bring. When school lets out for summer, our routine calls naturally fall apart. Sometimes finding a rhythm proves difficult, but every time we text or call, we pick up right where we left off.
MIA
Hey, stranger, met any hot guys yet?
SOLIA
I’m not here for love! I’m here to … what do they call it? Find myself, be one with nature.
Whatever you say! But sound the mating call into the woods, for god’s sake. There’s bound to be some small-town hotties in those woods somewhere.
No problem. I’ll round them up when you come to visit. BTW, when are you coming???
I have to finish some stupid professional development thing this week and then I’m free for the summer. The weekend after the Fourth?
